The objective of the present study was to evaluate the relationships between the chemical characteristics of 15 types of organic composts and the release of nutrients to the soil. Laboratory soil incubations were carried using plastic cups, where 50 g of a dystrophic Red Yellow Argisol (Ultisol) were amended with 0.374 g of each compost. The design was in randomized blocks with 16 treatments (15 types of compost plus a control) and 4 incubation periods (3, 7, 14 and 28 days) with three replications. At the end of each period, the soil inorganic N was determined, but soil P, K, Ca and Mg were determined only at day 28. The composts had different effects on soil N, causing from mineralization to immobilization. Among the evaluated characteristics of the composts (lignin, poliphenols, ashes, C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, lignin:N, and C:N) only the C:N ration had a significant correlation with N mineralization. The composts also varied regarding the supply of P and K to the soil, but there were no differences in the supply of Ca and Mg. In conclusion, the chemical characteristics of the composts that were evaluated were not useful indicators of the potential nutrient supply by the composts.